UTSA to host blood drives in June and July

(June 22, 2007)--UTSA Student Health Services and the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center will host blood drives in June and July at the UTSA 1604 and Downtown campuses. UTSA students, faculty and staff are invited to participate. See the blood drive schedule below.

Donors must provide photo identification, weigh at least 110 pounds, be age 17 or older and in good general health. Additionally, donors will receive a Texas flag t-shirt and pizza.

Why donate blood?

Every three seconds someone needs blood.

One of every 20 Texans will need blood at some point in their lives. However, less than 5 percent of the eligible donor population give blood. The need exists for more people to donate blood and for people to donate more often.

You could save as many as four lives with one donation. Most donated blood is separated into four components: red cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate. Red cells are used for surgical patients while plasma is used in treatment of shock and burn patients. Platelets are vital to leukemia and other cancer patients whose bone marrow does not produce enough platelets to help the blood clot properly. The final component, cryoprecipitate, is used to treat hemophiliacs, people whose blood lacks this vital blood clotting protein.

500 daily donations are needed to meet the needs of patients in South Texas hospitals.